How do you build "green?"?
Answer:
Be aware that in Panama almost no one builds "green." So, there's almost no experienced contractors who will know what your mother is talking about (they will paint her house with green paint.) Whatever she wants to do, it's going to cost her more to get there. And, she's going to have to be able to come up with her own plan and describe it in detail to the builder so that it gets done correctly.
I don't know how well your mother speaks Spanish, but if she's not functionally fluent then she might want to consider bringing in a translator to make sure she's getting her "spirit and intent" across. As long as she has a clear understanding of what she wants (as an end result) and can communicate that to a builder or contractor, then she will be able to get it done.
There are lots of suppliers here in Panama who can provide electrical solutions for things like wind and solar power, but be advised that in Panama the greatest source of electrical power is from hydroelectrical dams, which are about as "green" as it gets. If your mother installs a stand-alone system based on solar or wind power simply because she does not want to use the existing power grid, then she will actually be doing more harm to the environment than good because of the batteries, etc. The greenest way to get electrical power in Panama is to just use the standard service.
With regards to water, there are lots of ways to catch rainwater for example and use it for non-drinking purposes, to flush toilets, water lawns, etc. There are "light" filtration systems that will allow that water to be used for washing clothes, etc. But again, realize that here in Panama sweet water and rainfall is plentiful but not all year long. There is a long (at least three month) dry season which can be longer. Water catchment systems are fine when it's raining, but she will still want to be on the system for drinking water and as a backup.
The short answer is this - she can do whatever she wants, as long as she knows what she wants to do. Someone will be able to put it together for her. Good luck, and I hope this helps.
Find a contractor who participates in building to LEED requirements. See the below site for details on LEED projects in residential construction.
http://www.usgbc.org/displaypage.aspx?cm...
Leed for Homes Providers by State:
http://www.usgbc.org/displaypage.aspx?cm...
She could build an R2000 home which is highly efficient.
http://r2000.chba.ca/
http://www.chba.ca/findmembers/r2000_sea...
http://r2000.chba.ca/r2000_in_your_area/...
Or you can just educate yourself about "What makes a house green" and include those aspects that work for you.
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